London Mayor Sadiq Khan marked the third anniversary of October 7 with a two-page statement. The first page mourned the victims. The second turned to Gaza and went after Israel's government, and that is the part people are angry about.
Page one says what you would expect. Khan calls the Hamas assault a "horrific terrorist attack" and remembers the "innocent victims whose lives were cruelly taken." He offers condolences to bereaved families and says the day reawakened fear and trauma for many Jewish Londoners. He calls antisemitism in the city "vile," says Jewish people must be able to live and worship without abuse, and commits his office to working with police and Jewish organizations. "There is never any excuse for harassment, intimidation or attacks against our Jewish communities," he writes.
Then comes page two.
"Today is also a moment to reflect on the unfathomable suffering and killing of Palestinians over the last three years, both in Gaza and in the West Bank," it opens. Khan goes on to back the British government in calling out what he describes as "the reprehensible actions of the Israeli Government," and closes with a prayer for two states living side by side.
